NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Two helicopters collided while trying to land just below Mount Everest base camp in Nepal.
The accident occurred around 8:12 am on Tuesday in Pheriche area of Solukhumbu district, according to a translated press release from the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN). The helicopters were identified as an Air Dynasty plane and a Fishtail Air plane, aviation authorities said.
Two foreign tourists were on board the Fishtail Air helicopter. One of them, Vasanth Kumar Balaramudu, 47, of Chennai, India, died in the accident, according to CAAN.
Deadly helicopter crash kills 2 pilots battling raging YOSEMITE wildfire
The other tourist, New Zealand national Shailesh Kisan Patel, was injured, as were at least one driver involved in the collision, authorities said.
Those injured in the collision were admitted to a hospital in Kathmandu for further treatment, according to aviation authorities.
The two helicopters pictured above collided while attempting to land just below Mount Everest Base Camp in Nepal. (Reuters)
CAAN has opened an investigation into the accident and will determine whether corrective action is necessary based on its findings.
Fishtail Air said its helicopter crashed during landing while carrying rescued passengers in the Everest region, Reuters reported.
CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE TO OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER
The Air Dynasty helicopter was only carrying cargo, a company official told Reuters.
Helicopters are a key mode of transportation around Everest, where there are no roads. They are used to evacuate hikers and guides suffering from illness or exhaustion amid the region’s cold temperatures and high altitude, according to the Associated Press (AP).
The two helicopters pictured above collided while attempting to land near Mount Everest Base Camp in Nepal. (Viral press)
Pheriche, where the accident occurred, is about 13,780 feet above sea level and lies beneath Everest Base Camp, the AP reported.
The collision also occurred after heavy snow covered hiking routes in the area.
Conditions improved on Sunday, allowing thousands of hikers to start moving around the region again, according to the media outlet.
TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ
Nepal has faced other major travel and security challenges in recent months.
As of September, approximately 70 Americans remained missing following catastrophic flooding along the Nepal-China border, while 18 Americans were confirmed safe, Fox News Digital previously reported.
A damaged helicopter sits after two helicopters collided as they prepared to land in the Mount Everest region of Nepal, November 3, 2026. (Reuters)
The floods were triggered by the collapse of a glacier on August 26 and caused widespread damage, including flash floods and landslides. Rescue teams were searching areas, including hydropower project tunnels, where workers were apparently trapped.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE LIFESTYLE STORIES
U.S. officials warned Americans at the time not to travel to the disaster area because of the continuing threat of additional flash flooding and landslides.
At least 1,399 people in Nepal and China’s Tibet region died in the disaster, and more than 5,400 others remained missing at the time of writing.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Gillian Turner of Fox News, as well as Sophia Compton of Fox News Digital, contributed reporting.
Gn world
